Cortes Currents

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - Are Cortes property owners paying more taxes because their assessments went up? The topic came up at the Wednesday November 7, Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) meeting. Mike Harmston, Chief Financial Officer for the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), wanted to correct three widely believed myths.

“The first one is the assessment increase automatically translates to a property tax increase. A lot of people compare property taxes  to a sales tax where they requisition a fixed amount. For example With a provincial sales tax at 7%, if the underlying price of the goods rises, the government automatically collects more money. Whereas in the  local government, we requisition a fixed dollar amount, so there's not always that automatic increase. Quite often, everything else being equal, when assessment values rise our applicable tax rates go down.”  

To which Mark Vonesch, Regional Director for Cortes Island, responded, “I think it's worth noting that on Cortes this past year that the assessments were increased  more in proportion to the rest of  the district. So in Cortes's case, property tax increases did cause a property tax increase.” 

David Leitch, Chief Administrative Officer of the SRD, objected to this, “No, that's not true.  It doesn't matter where the area is because we have shared service. We have individual services. So each one of those has a requisition taxation limit to it. So if you have a park service on Area B,  that has a requisition limit and it's not tied to any other areas.” 

“All the areas will go up differently, but those individual requisition limits are not tied to assessment value.  They're all individually assessed. So you could go up twice as much as somebody else and in fact, if you did, it's more likely that the taxation assessment will go down. I don't know if it's ever happened that  the requisition goes up. I would say 99 percent of the time, if not 100, the taxation assessment will drop.”

Gerald Whalley, Regional Director for Area A, pointed out, “David, I think what he's saying is that the mill rate will go down as the assessment goes up. That makes sense.  If there's a two participant service and the one area assessments go up but the other area doesn't, the mill rate will drop a bit - but each individual household will still pay a bit more in the higher assessment.”

CAO Leitch: “When assessments go up, it almost always triggers a reduction in the rate.” 

Director Vonesch: “In the mill rate. Yes, I agree with that." 

Mike Harmston: “They’re  both correct. What the slide is really focusing on is the amount of dollars we collect.  The amount of dollars we collect is independent from the assessment increase.  We don't even look at the assessments until the last minute  when we calculate the tax rate.”

Director Vonesch: “If Quadra and I are sharing a service, and our property values increase by 20%, that would mean that Cortes would cover more of the cost of that service?” 

Mike Harmston: “That's exactly right. If you two shared, then if yours went up 20% and Area C went up 40%,  both assessments increased, but there would be a proportional more tax shift to Area C.” 

Director Vonesch: “Thank you.” 

So it would appear that Cortes residents did pay more taxes last year because of their assessments, but there are probably years where we paid less.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - Part of Tiber Bay may soon be included in the Southern Cortes Protection Area. This matter was brought up at the Wednesday, November 6, Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) meeting, where a motion to recommend it with no dissenting votes.

Regional Director Mark Vonesch remarked, “This is great to see happening. I know it's been a lot of years in the works and certainly before my time. An increase in 32 properties to the fire service, is that going to have an impact on the budget, as the cost of the fire protection is distributed amongst more properties?”

Thomas Yates, Senior Manager at the SRD responded, “My understanding from talking to Shaun Koopman is that there might be some slight increases in certain operational costs. Obviously, the gas for the trucks to get into that area, that kind of thing. But in terms of capital or a significant operating cost, I'm not aware of any.”

Easc’s recommendation will be passed on to the SRD Board meeting of Wednesday November 20. If the motion carries there, approval of the protection extension will be sought through a petition process.

More details will follow at that time.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - In previous years, bits of Quadra and Cortes Island data have been incorporated in Campbell River’s Vital Signs Reports. This is the first year that both islands are collecting their own data. Cortes has already published its 2024 Vital Signs Report. The Quadra Island Foundation is about to start accumulating the baseline data that will enable it to produce a report for Quadra and 

Jody Rodgers, Chair of the Quadra Island Foundation:  “Vital Signs  empowers organizations for tailoring their initiatives: so they can work on things to improve, and also not spin their wheels on things that are already good.  It also really gives them the hard data to apply for grants more effectively.” 

“I think that it allows us to gain perspective on the differences in spending needs of organizations.   Vital Signs  is a vehicle for organizations to measure their effectiveness or lack thereof, according to certain benchmarks.” 

 “One of the problems that Quadra Island as a community has with respect to Vital Signs is it was always tucked in as  this little afterthought to the Campbell River Vital Signs. They got our data from the surveys of Canada. Not only were they out of date, they were not very controlled because only certain people responded to the surveys.  While it was a tiny little sidebar in their large report, I felt like it was non data.”

“They also included Cortes and did the same sorts of things based on Surveys Canada. Cortes’ needs may be vastly different than Campbell River's and ours, which is what we strongly suspect.”

Cortes Currents: Quadra Island’s needs are different from Campbell River?

Jody Rodgers: “Yes, that's why Quadra wanted to break off from being a combined effort. I love the folks over at Campbell River Foundation. They are fantastic and they've been very generous to include Quadra in their Vital Signs report.”

Rodgers met with Michaela Arruda and Manda Aufochs Gillespie, Executive Directors of the Campbell River and Cortes Island Foundations, respectively.  

“I gently said, we really want to go off and do this ourselves,  if you don't mind, because I think our community would appreciate that too. It'll make it much easier for us to say to these grant writers, ‘we know you've given to XYZ. However we don't share these resources. We are completely separate organizations and entities and communities.' In view of the fact that our communities are unique, it seemed more sensible for us to be able to measure ourselves against ourselves.” 

“There are 12 indicators that are part of the Vital Signs. They range from things that are extremely applicable like housing, economy and education, to things that are aspirational, like transportation.”

Manda Aufochs Gillespie/Folk U - On Friday, November 1, host Manda Aufochs Gillespie was joined by Rebecca Kirstein Resch, to chat about magic mushrooms, chronic pain, and healing. Tune in for a discussion about the power of psychedelics.

Folk U Radio is taking old school viral every Friday at 1 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m./Wednesday at 6 a.m. @CKTZ89.5FM or livestreamed at cortesradio.ca. Find repeats anytime at www.folku.ca/podcasts.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA) has partnered with several local sports to build a multi-use sport court beside the Cortes Island Skate Park. The proposed facility would consist of two courts on a 60 foot by 60 feet concrete or asphalt square. It could be used for pickleball, basketball, volleyball, badminton and tennis.

According to Cora Moret, Executive Director of the SCCA, there is currently a complete lack of sports courts on Cortes Island. 

On October 2, she gave an overview of the project in a letter to the Strathcona Regional District. Moret wrote that the Cortes Island Pickleball Society (CIPS) approached the SCCA about the project last year. Pickleball is currently played on a small asphalt area behind the Cortes Island school. The surface is not ideal for court sports and cannot be used during school hours. Since then, the SCCA has been approached by youth and adult basketball groups. 

In June, the SCCA set up a Pickleball Committee headed by Board member Ruth Barrett. The committee considered various locations and configurations before recommending the area beside the Skateboard Park. 

Moret wrote, “CIPS has developed a provisional budget for the project and potential sources of revenue to pay for the expected $190,000 project. The major expenses (substrate material and concrete work) will be revised once the site is cleared and contractors can evaluate the work. For revenue, in addition to a potential grant from the SRD Community Works Fund, CIPS members and supporters will donate generously through the Cortes Island Community Foundation and SCCA. In-kind contributions of labour and expertise will be requested from island suppliers and contractors and other funding grants will be sought. The BC Gaming Capital Projects Grant will be applied for in 2025 and may match up to 50% of the total project costs, including documented in-kind contributions.” 

She also sent the SRD a provisional budget detailing the estimated costs and sources of revenue. 

The SCCA hopes to obtain a $50,000 grant from the SRD Community Works Fund, which is often referred to as the gas tax. 

At the SRD Board’s October 30 meeting, Regional Director Mark Vonesch moved “that a report on providing $50,000 of community works funding for the building of a multi use sports court on the Southern Cortes Community Associations property be prepared for further consideration by the Electoral Area Services Committee (EASC).” 

Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott responded, “I just want to hear a little bit more about the staffing requirements and the use of the community works fund with respect to a specified recreational project like this. If staff can give me any idea of how common this is, or if this is traditional use and how that affects the regional  development of recreation.” 

Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch explained, “Recreation in itself is allowable for the community works funds, but there's a number of new rules and complications with non government organizations in terms of ongoing management, operational funds, asset management, land ownership, etc. As well with the new community works fund rules, it cannot replace another piece of infrastructure that the regional district either has or is on its list of infrastructure upgrades. For example, if you have a series of recreation, inner recreation, infrastructure projects that you're not providing gas tax in lieu of a project that competes for it,  let's say a non government organization that would be a conflict. So there's a number of new rules with the community works funds that I'm going to say are going to likely complicate this request, but we'll bring back a staff report identifying those challenges.” 

This is only one of the proposed revenue sources for the proposed multi-use sports court.

De Clarke/Cortes Currents - In September of this year, Currents reported on a proposal from Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ [pronounced Lee-gweeth-dowkh] Nations (We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah) for the formal renaming of various locations in the greater Campbell River/rapids area. The new names would be drawn from First Nations language and tradition.

Three of these place-names are local to the city of Campbell River. The well-loved park now known as Tyee Spit would be renamed to ʔuxstalis [pronounced Oox-sta-lease], the spelling of the Quinsam River would be updated to "Kʷənsəm River", and Discovery Passage would be renamed to "Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ Passage".

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - In 2020, the Strathcona Regional Regional District SRD entered into a core funding agreement with the Southern Cortes Community Association  (SCCA) and Whaletown Community Club to support Mansons and Gorge Halls. Up to $80,000 a year could be used from Cortes Island’s property taxes. This agreement is due to expire on March 31, 2025.

Staff is proposing that the new agreement include a new paragraph stating “The Regional District may contribute funds for capital expenditures at its sole discretion.”

This would, for example, allow the SRD to use Gas Tax funding to finance renovations or purchase new equipment. This is a grant and would not cost Cortes Island taxpayers any money.

In all other respects, the terms and conditions of the original agreement would carry on into the next.

At the Wednesday October 30, 2024 SRD Boad meeting, Regional Director Mark Vonesh of Cortes Island moved

The new contract will include the phrase allowing the SRD to use additional sources of funding for capital expences.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents -The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) will be meeting with the Cortes Housing Society to discuss the possibility of making a short term loan to help bring power, water and sewage to some lots in the Rainbow Ridge affordbale housing project.

While the SRD created a Housing Service earlier this year, it has yet to requiistion any funds and the request prompted some discussion at the Wednesday October 30 Board meeting.

Regional Director Mark Vonesch, of Cortes Island, made the motion “that the Regional District work with the Cortes Housing Society to develop a plan for a short term loan through the Regional Housing Service so that the Cortes Housing Society can develop a part of its land with power, water, septic, and road access to facilitate long term lease agreements and thus create affordable housing opportunities on Cortes Island.”

The seconder, Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney of Area C, asked, “I'm curious from staff the likely timeline on the report and if it would be returned in time for the Board to consider the request inclusion in the 2025 financial plan.”

To which Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch replied, “I don't know what kind of model they're looking at in terms of a lease. The motion says a short term loan. I don't really know what that means. I can bring something back as preliminary to high level thoughts about what the society has in mind and bring that to the board, hopefully before the end of the year, there's only two meetings left before the end of the year.”

Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott added, “I'm just curious about staff capacity and coming in with an innovative thing. I would prefer if the Cortes Housing Society wanted to do a delegation present to us and explain to us how they've exhausted their options, including going to B. C. Housing, which seems to me the place you go for this type of funding and shows that they've met the requirements and how they're going to provide housing that goes within the requirements for the provincial funder. I'm not sure if I would appreciate our staff working on this right now. We have a lot of other things that we need to get through.”

“When we create a housing service, does it include the power to grant loans?”

CAO Leitch: “Well, that's also tricky. I don't know if it's just even through the service to grant loans, but I'm going to say it's highly unlikely that the regional and district would offer a loan to society without any security, that would create a significant amount of liability.”

“I'm not saying that's what they're asking for. I haven't had any discussions, but let's say they needed 3 million loan through the regional district, that would create a great deal of risk and vulnerability to the regional district if there is no secured asset to that loan. I don't know what the payback terms of that would be, are we talking about security? I don't know.”

Director Vonesch attempted to clarify the matter, “Obviously the land would back any loan and the initial discussions that I've had is looking for a million dollars put power, water and sewage into 10 lots, sell those to 10 lots in a long term lease for let's say a hundred thousand that would pay back the loan.”

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - The cell phone reception in Village Bay Lake is sketchy.  Up until this summer, the little Quadra Island community’s only reliable telephone access was a pay phone in the Village Bay Lake parking area. Then TELUS removed it. 

When Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney raised this issue at the recent SRD Board meeting, it turned out she was not the only Director dealing with the problems resulting from TELUS withdrawing pay phones.

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - There are more Chum swimming up Basil Creek than we’ve seen for years. According to Matthew Clarke of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Cortes Island isn’t the only place where the Chum run is good this year. 

“As a general rule this year things are looking much better for Chum than they have looked, albeit with a couple of places that are not quite as strong as we would have hoped to see,”  he explained.

“We are seeing strength like you mentioned on Cortes. We actually saw some Chum in Campbell River, which has been hard for us to really survey for a while. It was nice to see that because we have had that as a question mark. Oyster River has some good Chum numbers in it, and as we move down the island, things are generally good." 

"There are definitely some returns that are better than we have seen in recent years, but we are also seeing some runs that may not come up quite as high as we would like to see. At Orford (which empties into Bute Inlet and has a summer Chum population) we saw a few thousand fish come back, but it wasn't excellent returns relative to what we've seen elsewhere. In adjacent rivers, like the Qualicum, Little Qualicum, and Big Qualicum, one is not showing quite as strong, but the other one is showing reasonable strength."

"As a rule, pretty much throughout the entire south coast area, we've seen poor Chum productivity since about 2017. Some years we did see some slight upticks in abundance. 2019 was  poorest year on record for all south coast Chum stocks and that has tumbling down effects. Chum returns are primarily  3, 4 and 5 year old fish with the 4 year old component typically being the strongest, but that can vary a little bit." 

“Last year the dominant brood year return would have been from 2019, a low abundance year. We saw low abundance pretty much throughout, but with maybe a slight indication that things were improving for Chum. We typically see that four year old component as the most abundant component, but in the test fishery last year, we actually saw the three year olds showing up in really strong numbers. Typically,  four year olds are about 80% of what we would expect to see. Last year,  in the final days of the test fishery, 50% of the run consisted of 3 year old fish."